2019 Nationals: Senior Ladies Free Skate

by Liz Leamy

Liu Brings Down the House and Takes the Ladies
Event

(26 January 2019) The ladies free skate drew a packed
house at downtown Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena and with good
reason.

This lively and clearly driven ‘next’
generation of top U.S. ladies proved they were on top of their game,
with Alysa Liu, the 13 year-old jumping sensation coming out on top
of the leaderboard with a total of 217.51 points. Liu is the
youngest U.S. Lady's Champion in U.S. Figure Skating history.

Liu, a California native, brought the house to
their feet with a rousing standing ovation for her compelling
program to the ‘Witches of Eastwick’ soundtrack, in which she
knocked out two triple Axels (one in combination with a double toe),
making her the first American woman to perform two triple Axels in a
free skate and three in a short plus long program.

Thrilled with her outcome in this event, Liu
said she was just happy to have skated a strong program.

“I just really wanted to do my best when I got
here,” said Liu. “I was really happy with my score, happy I beat my
[personal best] score and did a clean long program.”

Liu, who is a year shy to qualify for competing
at the World Junior Championships in March, said she plans to go back home
to start working on adding quads to her programs. Her coach,
Laura Lipetsky, said that Liu has already landed a quad Lutz in
practice.

Bradie Tennell, the 2018 U.S. Champion scored
second with a 213.59 total score for her dramatic program to the
film score from ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

Tennell, 20, who won the
short, was fourth in this portion of the competition, executing a
triple Axel-triple loop, triple flip, triple loop-double toe-double
loop, a triple Salchow and double Axel. She did miss a triple Lutz,
however.

Still, her spins and artistry were exceptional,
designating this as a stalwart performance.

“I was focused on me and what I had to do,”
said Tennell. “I want to go back [in preparation for Worlds] and
work on every little detail and strive for perfection.”

Mariah Bell, who was second in the free skate,
wound up third overall with a 212.40.

Bell, skating to ‘Devinir,’ appeared to be
perhaps the fastest skater in this competition and did some powerful
triples, including a triple flip-double toe, triple flip, triple
Lutz-double toe-double loop, triple loop, double Axel-triple toe and
double Axel. She did miss a triple Lutz, however.

“I’m focusing on being the best version of the
skater I can be,” said Bell, 22. “[Going into Worlds] I’m taking the
programs I did here and [will be] working on where I can be better.”

Overall, all of the skaters performed dozens of
beautiful triples, artfully formed spins amidst rich and diverse
programs that kept the audience fully engaged from start to finish
of this event.

They all wore stunning dresses costumes that
matched the mood and personality of their music.

At the same time, they all did breathtaking
spirals, Ina Bauers, spread eagles, Charlottes and other
show stopping ‘connecting’ steps that went over big with the Detroit
crowd and have, honestly, not been on display ‘en masse’ like this
since the International Judging System was first implemented back in
the mid-2002, rendering this a big event on many levels.

“[I think tonight] we’re showing we have a
really strong group of ladies [in the U.S.],” said Bell. “I had a
really great time and always have a really great time at Nationals.”